Army's Michie Stadium treasured venue

Football team struggles, but field, fans are unforgettable

By Joe Stalvey

Published 10:36 pm, Wednesday, October 31, 2012

WEST POINT — The battle was in its early stages, and The General was not pleased.

It was the second quarter and the Army football team was losing 14-0 to Kent State. The General, a gray-haired man wearing an Army replica jersey, was sitting one row behind our group of three first-time visitors to Michie Stadum, home of the U.S. Military Academy's Black Knights.

He had a commanding voice and much football wisdom to share. Even from our spot near the upper-deck railing, it seemed likely some of his words were reaching the Army sideline.

As the first half ticked by, he directed most of his words to the Army offense, which was making little headway against a Kent State defense led by a linebacker with Troy Polamalu hair. The General made his displeasure plain but remained respectful.

"Gentlemen, you have to make your blocks stick."

"You can't leave the defense out there all day, gentlemen."

His critique shifted to the defense after Kent State scored on a halfback option pass, a trick play that he clearly found galling.

"All right — you can start playing anytime now."

More Information

If you go

Army has two remaining home games this season. The Black Knights play service rival Air Force on Saturday and Temple University on Nov. 17. Kickoff is at noon. For ticket information, call (845) 938-2526 or 1-(877) 849-2769 or visit goarmysports.com.

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After a Kent State receiver outran the Army secondary for the visitors' second touchdown, The General got a bit sarcastic.

"Got them right where you want them now."

We had barely taken our seats on Oct. 13 when we realized our tickets had placed us near one of the more passionate Army fans in the stadium. Our party consisted of two guys in their 50s who never served in the military and my son, a National Guard soldier. We had come hoping to see Army win but were more curious about the spectacle of West Point football than we were emotionally involved. Many of the other fans there that day seemed like us, and while the stadium was about three-quarters full it was hardly a raucous crowd. We briefly considered changing seats, then opted not to. If nothing else, The General would keep us on our toes. We bestowed the military nickname on him sometime in the second quarter.

Michie Stadium is named for Dennis Mahan Michie, a West Point grad (Class of 1892) who helped start the Army football program before he was killed in the Spanish-American War in 1898, at age 28. It opened in 1924, the year Army lost (at New York's Polo Grounds) to Notre Dame's famed "Four Horsemen" team. That game solidified a rivalry between the programs that some years was nearly as intense as that between Army and Navy.

Army football enjoyed a golden age from 1943-58, when its teams were among the top-ranked nationally and claimed two Associated Press titles. But Army, unable to compete with programs that serve as NFL feeders, has not been a title contender for a long time. Sellouts are rare at Michie. Last year, Bleacherreport.com included Army on its "10 Big Time Programs with Terrible Home Game Attendance" list. Announced attendance was 30,022 for the Kent State game, about 8,000 less than capacity.

On the other hand, Sports Illustrated in 1999 named Michie the No. 3 sports venue of the 20th century. SI really liked the cannon fire that accompanies every Army score.

As the third quarter began, the cannons had remained quiet. Kent State scored again, kicking a field goal a little past the midway point of the third quarter. The massed cadets now seemed discouraged. The General's energy had waned,too. Now most of his comments were aimed at the coaching staff.

"Yeah, run up the middle again, that's what we do."

"How about calling a different play?"

"Somebody needs to get fired."

Then the tide of the game shifted a bit. After a 12-play drive, the Knights finally got on the board with a field goal, bringing the crowd to life. As the cannons blasted, cheerleaders made a lap around the end zone, waving banners, and the Army fight song played over the PA.

A week earlier, the Black Knights had rallied to take down Boston College for their first win of the year. But there would be no miracle this day: Kent State matched a couple of late Army scores and won 31-17.

At the end, both teams stood, helmets under their arms, facing the corps of cadets as the Army alma mater played. Many in the crowd sang along and then yelled "Beat Navy." We walked out and waited for a bus back to the parking area.

The lot in which we had parked is between the Post Cemetery and a building that houses, among other things, a Subway. After a sandwich, I went into the cemetery, curious about a tomb we had noticed built in the shape of a pyramid. It turned out to be the resting place of a Civil War soldier named Egbert Ludovicus Viele.

Walking back to the car, still puzzling over the tomb's size, I spotted five simple markers side by side near the cemetery border. It turned out to be a good place to consider what it means to go to West Point or to serve in uniform at all. Each grave is the final resting place of a member of the Class of 1968; all were killed in Vietnam within a year of graduating. In that place, The General's devotion to a team that represents those who serve made sense; if any team deserves a stadium filled with screaming supporters, the Black Knights are it. At the same time, it also was a good place to remember that in the scheme of things a football game's outcome is not that big a thing.